CHAPTER 4

I don't think I can do this!

My mind was screaming, my heart drumming. The jet had touched down just ten minutes ago and the door was opening. There was nothing I wanted than to tuck my tail and hide under a chair. That would be fun, wouldn't it? My wolf was uncomfortable, we were on new territory and she did not like it one bit. I could feel her wheels turning, well, my wheels turning, my survival instincts kicking in and wanting nothing more than to sprint the hell away from that place. One thing I would tell you is that it was cold, when I say cold, I mean snow cold. The ground was covered in snow, sky covered in dark clouds promising rain as if the weather could sense my dark mood. I sat clenching my chair, wishing that door would not open, leaving me to stay in the jet for the rest of my life.

I sighed; it was fucked up.

"Your highness, the door is opened." The flight attendant said.

 Her whole body shook and I knew why, she was scared shitless, we were in the land owned and ruled by vampires. I am sure they just wanted nothing more than to take off back home and never to look back but if that was how they felt just being here for ten minutes, then what about me? I was to spend the rest of my life there. It was so bad, my own body began to shake, all that being a princess 101 rules flying out the window leaving just a girl that was so scared she could pee herself.

"Thank you," I said back, my shaky voice filling the space as her eyes locked on mine, both of us sharing the same fear. I am sure she just wanted to say 'get the fuck out of here so we can run'.

I swallowed, knowing that staying in there was to not help anyone. If the vampire king stood there as he should then I did not want to anger him at first sight. I was going to be smart, I was going to be a good girl, playing the survival game.

I stood up, the girl visibly relieved at that, not even hiding it. I guess she really wanted to take off that bad. I touched my head, making sure that my crown was still in place. I was not going to come out of the jet as Ana, Ana was dead, she died the minute she stepped in that jet.

I was going to step out as ' Werewolf Princess Anastasia Nikita Furthrone, Defender of the Northern lands, Commander of the Lethal swords, Lady of Rockland, Future Queen of the Vampire species.'

I can do this, I huffed, trying to give myself a pep talk, trying not to be scared but the more I tried was the more my fear got even worse. Shaking my head, I took a step followed by another, trying so hard not to cry, wanting so hard not to cry. The truth was, I did not want to die, no one wanted to die. I was so young; I had not even tasted chocolate in my life.

Moon goddess, I needed to live!

The harsh cold winds greeted me even before I got to the entrance, sending a shiver through my body and leaving goose bumps as I wore a long-sleeved velvet dress going up my neck and down, hiding the heels that could kill someone. I would make my appearance as a queen, a soon to be queen and not a girl. First impressions matter a lot.

I had to show them that I would not be bullied, that I was not scared of them even though the fear clouded my lungs I could barely breathe but they did not have to know that. Being a royal was all about an image, feed people an image of what you want them to see and they will eat it up like chocolate.

Goddess, I really have to try chocolate; I thought, the word seeming to have stuck in my head from that novel.

I was strong and I could do this.

I took the last two steps, my heart choking me, ready to face the man I was soon to marry. My head shot up, ready to kick some ass with my confidence yet all my eyes fell on was snow and more snow. A black tinted car stood with only one person standing outside. I blinked, thinking that maybe I was seeing things.

Where was everyone?

My eyes went back to the scrawny looking man with skin as pale as if kissed by death but it had. According to all those novels, vampires were dead people walking, right? Then why don't we just call them zombies? Zombies eat brains, oohh yeah. The man was wearing a ripped black t-shirt and black long skinny jeans, looking bored, his phone in hand chatting or whatever he was doing.

Was he the king?

The question was stupid even in my mind because there was no way that man-child was the king. His face snapped up, a scowl gracing his face.

"Wet dog," he said, his voice laced with so much venom a shiver went down my spine, my anger spiking at such disrespect.

"Come on dog. I don't have all day!" He shouted; his voice being carried by the wind echoing all over the white trees covered in nothing but snow.

It was a rule that whenever royalty crossed into your territory you had to greet them even if they were an enemy. It was to show that you acknowledge them as being of royal blood. If the king and queen were not present then the second in hand along with others in rank. The main point is, the king just took my crown and spit on it. I was not a fan of old rules but that was disrespect at its highest level. They did not see me as anything besides being a dog and to send that scrawny, disrespectful thing that I would snap its tiny bones was insulting.

Fuck the king!

Fuck that scrawny little thing!

If I bent over backwards then they would walk over me. If I wanted them to treat me with respect then I would demand it and not let them bully me.

"What insult is this? I will not leave this plane until I see a hint of respect to the name of Furthrone. Run back to your coterie and tell them that I, Princess Anastasia Nikita Furthrone will not accept such disrespect!" I shouted, turning back without even waiting for a reply, walking inside seeing the attendant just behind me looking as pale as that vampire and probably thinking the same thing I was thinking, literally screaming it in my head.

Do you want to die!?

"Sorry to delay you but we will be staying here for as long as they decide to torture us, I guess." I said, huffing and going to my seat.

"It's okay princess, you are so strong and brave to stand up for your position like that. I swear I would have just cried my way through until they killed me. You have to fight your highness, they can't treat you like that, calling you wet dog..." The attendant drifted off in thought, fear having her hands shake. I took her hands into mine, sharing my warmth.

"Thank you." I said back, eyes on me, trying to reassure her with mine, trying to be strong for her at the moment. I did not know how, what I had done would play off. I could have my head rolling on the floor as soon as the boy reported back to the king or whoever because the vampires have speed that could put lightning to shame. Well, I am not sure but you get my point right and that is just an ordinary vampire. I didn't even want to think about the hybrid king that was the father of Vampires really. I just could not believe that all these vampires came from him, it was insane and I was going to bond with that man. It was just so crazy; my mind still could not wrap around the idea while my wolf drew back, hiding away and not wanting to be part of this brutal life that I would soon live. I didn't blame her really, I would hide if I could too.

"Princess, I think they will kill you." The attendant said making me roll my eyes.

"Well gee, thanks for that." I said sarcastically, making her laugh.

"I am sorry, I am just so scared for you. Goddess, they will drain your blood until you are dead and cold." She continued, eyes wide while a shiver ran down my spine.

"Or they will chain you up in silver, leaving you outside in the cold for months while....."

"Come on! Please stop, you are not helping." I said to her as she nodded her head only to open her mouth to point out another way they could gut me only to close it, remembering how she was scaring me shitless. I held on to her hands, reading her tag and realizing that her name was Belinda.

The engine was switched off, the cold suddenly being noticed by both of us. Even though werewolves were warm blooded, the heat from our wolves naturally transmitting to our human, but the cold was something else. It left our fingers white, feet frozen as if they would fall off, especially because we all were barely dressed, coming from such a warm place.

I sighed, totally regretting my decision of boycotting because hell it was cold and my teeth began chattering where I sat. The sky turned darker and darker by the second until only darkness surrounded us, everything ten times scarier, the snow even heavier. Belinda had drifted off, her head on my shoulder, her body shaking.

Shit.

I should have just gone with that boy, Belinda and the pilot would be home. I knew that they would soon call the jet back even if it meant leaving me in the cold and alone in the dark.

I definitely should have swallowed my pride and gone with the disrespectful boy but how could I when it meant my enslavement, when it meant I was brought down to nothing, disregarding the fact that I would soon be their queen. I would be lucky if I even made it through the night at that point, nonetheless finish the bonding.